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Questions & Answers about Apteka jest po lewej.
What case is lewej in po lewej, and why?
lewej is the feminine singular locative form of the adjective lewy (“left”). In Polish, the preposition po—when used to indicate a static location along a surface or side—governs the locative case. Hence po lewej literally means “on the left (side).”
Why do we use po lewej instead of z lewej to say “on the left”?
po + locative expresses a fixed position “on/at” that side. By contrast, z + genitive (e.g. z lewej) normally means “from the left,” implying movement away from that side or “coming from the left,” not simply the location of something.
Can I drop jest and say Apteka po lewej instead of Apteka jest po lewej?
Yes. In casual spoken Polish, the copula jest (“is”) is often omitted, so Apteka po lewej is perfectly understandable as “the pharmacy is on the left.” Including jest makes the sentence more standard or formal.
Could I say na lewo rather than po lewej?
na lewo is an adverbial phrase used mainly with verbs of motion or instruction: e.g. skręć na lewo (“turn to the left”). For stating where something stands, po lewej (or the fuller po lewej stronie) is the usual choice.
What about po lewej stronie? Do I need stronie?
po lewej stronie literally means “on the left side” and is slightly more explicit. In everyday speech, you can shorten it to po lewej without losing meaning. Both forms are correct.
Is the word order fixed? Can I say Po lewej jest apteka?
Yes. Polish word order is relatively flexible. Starting with Po lewej places emphasis on the location: Po lewej jest apteka still means “The pharmacy is on the left.”
Why is apteka in the nominative case?
Apteka is the subject of the copular verb jest (“is”). In Polish, subjects of być (to be) remain in the nominative case. Therefore apteka is nominative singular here.